


I Would Put Them Back In Poetry, If I Only Knew How

by Bam4Me



Series: Not His Baby Anymore [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Caregiver!Happy, Daddy!Steve, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Future Tony/Bucky, Gen, Happy Hogan feels, Little!Bucky - Freeform, Little!Tony, Non-Sexual Age Play, POV Happy, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, daddy!Phil, little!Clint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-03
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2019-03-13 02:53:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13561179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bam4Me/pseuds/Bam4Me
Summary: Moving forward is the only possible option, but sometimes Happy forgets that he can do more than just sheltering Tony from what could go wrong anymore.And sometimes he forgets that the people they live with aren't exactly enemies anymore, and he should learn to relax a little, and allow life to happen.





	I Would Put Them Back In Poetry, If I Only Knew How

**Author's Note:**

> So anyways... hi...
> 
> avengersnonsexualageplay.tumblr.com

If there was one thing that Happy Hogan has figured out about Steve Rogers in the half year since he showed up to ask for Iron Man’s help with a Hyrda base in Siberia, it was that the man was like a damn dog with a bone when he got his mind on something.

 

It was both annoying, and cute, depending on if he was in Captain Mode, or Daddy Mode. Now days unless they were in battle, he tended to be in Daddy Mode. Steve Rogers was an amazing daddy that even Happy -who had unusually high standards for anyone getting anywhere  _ near _ Tony- could approve of. It was awesome.

 

But… that didn’t mean Happy really  _ appreciated _ the good captain being so pushy about wanting their boys to have a playdate. Well, it’s not that bad for Tony to get to finally socialize with other littles his own age… but Happy had always been in a bad mood whenever someone tried to get a playdate with Tony. Bad memories of the playdates Obadiah used to set Tony up on when he was younger to be honest. They hadn’t really been playdates, so much as an underhanded way for Obadiah to sublty abuse Tony. 

 

Tony had never  _ liked _ playing with Justin Hammer, because the boy was bigger and louder and Obadiah pretended he didn’t see it when the older boy pinched Tony or pushed him over. Tiberius hadn’t been a little, but Obadiah used to get him and his own little over for playdates for much the same reason. See, that was Obadiah’s play, he never physically abused Tony, because he needed the little utterly loving of him, but if he made friends with people who weren’t afraid to get a little rough with him, so he himself didn’t have to at all. He’d get to run in at the last second when the tears were coming in and play the white knight while Tony cried about being hurt and frustrated.

 

There was a reason Obadiah always made Happy stay away when he made a playdate for Tony, and it wasn’t because he wanted to ‘spend quality time with his little boy’ like he always said it was.

 

Obadiah was lucky he was already dead, because even Happy is still working off twenty years of anger whenever that man is concerned.

 

Which is why Happy managed to avoid Steve’s insistent requests that Tony come play with the other babies in the tower for a whole week before Pepper pointed out that 1; he’s an idiot, and 2; now that he’s no longer reliant on staying hired by Obadiah to keep watching Tony, he can literally just take the baby and walk away at any point in time if the playdate goes bad. His wife made compelling points.

 

Which is why on this nice Thursday morning he was getting Tony dressed and ready to go play with the babies in the tower. Of course, it was just Clint and Bucky today. Natasha and Tony have played together before, and they got along very well, but she was on a mission today, and Sam had group until two in the afternoon. Less people around to stress out the baby. It was just past eight in the morning and Happy was washing the syrup off Tony’s face from breakfast that morning.

 

Happy was so proud of him. Obadiah couldn’t stand messes, so after so long of him glaring whenever the baby got messy at the table, Tony had just learned to be a neat eater for the most part. Tony was learning to be a messy baby like his age group suggested again. Happy gave him a kiss on the forehead for his troubles before picking the little up. He was lucky Tony was so small. Obadiah may have never picked the boy up in his life, but Happy was still fortunate enough to be able to assume he’d be able to keep picking the baby up like this for at least another ten years before his back really started complaining with age.

 

“Do you know what we’re gonna do today, sunshine?”

 

Tony gave a pleased little grumble while he snuggled into Happy’s shoulder on the way back to the nursery to get changed, before sitting back a little and giving Happy a wary look. “P’a’da’.”

 

Happy almost called the whole thing off right then and there. If Tony was already that wary about this then it couldn’t possibly end well. He plastered on a fake smile and nodded. “Yeah babe, we’re gonna have a playdate today with Clint and Bucky! You like Bucky.”

 

He didn’t know much about Tony and Clint’s relationship, but he’s fairly sure the two of them got along, since they snarked at each other pretty similarly to the way Tony and Rhodey did, but he wasn’t going to assume anything. Bucky and Tony got along pretty well though, and he’s pretty sure half of it has to do with a mutual love of messing with Steve.

 

It wasn’t much, but that also made Happy proud. Ten years ago Tony wouldn’t have teased someone. Even while fully adult, rare as that was back then.

 

Obadiah didn’t like it when Tony stepped out of the bounds he set for him, even when those bounds existed for no other reason than to keep Tony off balance.

 

Tony seemed to perk up a little bit, looking a little less nervous and more curious. “Bucky?”

 

“Yup, Bucky is going to be there. He’s never gotten a chance to play with you while little, I’m sure it’ll be  _ so _ much fun.”

 

Tony didn’t seem all that convinced, and he looked around the room when Happy laid him out on the changing table, starting to get Tony cleaned and undressed so he could get him in comfy play clothes. He was thinking a long sleeved onesie under some overalls. Tony would be comfy and warm in that. 

 

“Fuzzy?”

 

“You want to bring Fuzzy with us to see Bucky and Clint?” He didn’t mention Steve or Phil. Tony was wary of anyone who labeled themselves as a daddy. He’d probably get nervous again.

 

Tony nodded his head, looking at the stuffie in the crib still. “Ye.”

 

Happy just grinned as he taped the little up into a new diaper, moving so he could grab the stuffie in the crib as Tony stayed on the changing table. He didn’t need straps to make sure he didn’t fall. Obadiah hated babies who fuss at changes, Tony had quickly became pliant while being changed when he was still young.

 

He handed the stuffie to the baby before going to the closet. “Sweetie, do you want pretty flowers on your onesie, or Starry Night?”

 

Now this was something Tony was more used to. He never had pretty patterns on his clothes like he does now -Obadiah liked his baby to be aesthetically pleasing, so a lot of Tony’s clothes back then used to be solid colours or soft pastel patterns- but Happy has always given him options in what he wants to wear. Happy said it was very important for little boys to show their creative side and if he wants to look like a colour pallet threw up on him, that’s perfectly okay.

 

Tony thought hard about his choices. Little boys didn’t wear much flowers and pastels like Tony liked, actually, little boys didn’t wear a lot of what Tony wore, but Happy said that’s what makes Tony a very unique individual. That made Tony feel all nice and warm inside? Tony liked it.

 

He pointed to the floral print top, because he thought it was soft and pretty and his favorite shades of pink and purple. “Dat?”

 

Happy just grinned at him and put the other one away, hanging that one over the back of the rocker. “Very good choice sunshine, thank you.”

 

Tony perked up a little, looking pleased with himself. Happy held up two overalls next. “Now, pumpkin, or kitty cat?”

 

It was almost the 20th of October, and things were starting to get fairly Halloween themed around the penthouse. Pepper was a secret Halloween junkie and liked hiding little pumpkins all around the apartment for Tony to find while he was bored. It was like an easter egg hunt but better because it doesn’t stress Tony out with how fast he has to find them before they go bad.

 

Obviously, she had been doing some shopping, but he wasn’t going to complain when the result was ugly patterns that Tony will love.

 

Tony thought that one over very carefully, looking between them. “Kitty.”

 

Happy had to resist giving him kisses because he was so cute. This is a constant battle.

 

***

 

The elevator to the communal floor opened with a quiet swish of the doors, and Happy stepped out with Tony sitting on his hip, little fingers curled up in the fabric of his sweater while he moved them into the living room where Jarvis informed them, the others were waiting for them.

 

Tony flinched almost right away, and Happy had to physically control himself from leaving the room without even trying.

 

Thing is, Bucky and Clint were both toddlers, and Bucky and Clint, were  _ loud _ and  _ messy _ . There were toys strewn about and both of them were making excited noises as they played.

 

This was a terrible idea.

 

But, as Pepper had pointed out, he needs to be more open to things, and expecting other littles to be neat and quiet… was just, not possible. Tony wasn’t quiet because he was baby aged, he was quiet because he’d been told time and time again not to be noisy. He wasn’t neat because he had no urge to make a mess, he was neat because Obadiah had no tolerance for messes.

 

Exposing Tony to healthy, non-abusive, loud littles… was a disaster waiting to happen, but it could also be a blessing, because it might honestly help Tony to be louder and messier himself.

 

But the both of them still flinched, before giving each other a wary look, and in that moment Happy was sure the two of them were reading each other’s minds.

 

_ Seriously? _

 

“Hey boys, look who came to play with you two! It’s Tony and Uncle Happy!”

 

Oh fuck.

 

Clint and Bucky were outright  _ cheering _ at that, looking excitable and happy to see the two of them, but Tony just let out a little whine and buried his face in Happy’s shoulder.

 

Steve and Phil’s looks went from happy, to… not so pleased. Actually, Steve looked downright confused.

 

“Hey, how about we bring the noise level down a little bit? You know Tony is just a baby, we don’t want to startle him.” Phil was a saint sometimes, because the toddlers immediately went quiet, still excited and expectant.

 

Happy smiled a little thin, stepping forward into the room with a grim look on his face. He smiled at the good captain when he looked curious at him, gently jostling Tony a little to get the baby to look up again. Tony did with a nervous little look on his face.

 

“Do you want to say hi, baby boy?”

 

Tony sucked hard on his paci, and Happy held his breath. If Tony said no, he’d probably call the whole thing off, but after a half a minute of thinking it over, Tony looked at Bucky and Clint on the floor -completely ignoring Steve and Phil- and opened and closed his left hand in a semblance of a wave.

 

Good enough.

 

Happy leaned over, disentangling the baby from his arms while Tony put up minimal fuss. When Tony was safely on the ground, Happy took exactly two steps away and waited, watching him to see if he’d follow. The baby looked at him for another half a minute, before settling down on his bottom next to the couch, far enough away that he couldn’t be involved in Clint or Bucky’s games unless one of them came over to him. Happy gave a pleased little nod of satisfaction before moving a few feet away to sit on an armchair on the other side of the play rug Bucky and Clint were on.

 

Unlike Steve and Phil -who were settled back with a sketchpad and a Stark pad so they could keep themselves occupied- Happy kept his focus solely on the baby on the ground.

 

Tony kept himself occupied with Fuzzy, chattering on at him in quiet -nearly silent- little baby mumbles, completely consumed in his own little world by himself. Happy felt a tightening in his stomach at that. He’d learned that from Obadiah as well.

 

It took a good ten minutes for anyone else to say anything about it, but Happy knew that Bucky was keeping a pretty close eye on the little the whole time while he played, eyes darting in between Tony and Fuzzy and back to where he was playing with Clint on the floor.

 

Steve sat up from his sketchpad after turning to a new page, and looked over the arm of the couch down to where Tony was sitting next to his edge of the couch, right in sight of Happy, but hidden from Clint and Phil who were on the far edge of the couch and play rug.

 

“Hey sweetie, you playing all by yourself over there?”

 

Happy had to restrain himself from getting up to pick up the baby and run away with him.

 

Okay, this incident might actually a little more traumatic for  _ him _ than it was for Tony, who just barely flinched before looking up at Steve with a wary little nod, sucking harder on his pacifier for a few seconds.

 

“Are you sure you don’t want to join Bucky and Clint on the rug?”

 

Tony looked between Steve and Bucky for a second, and Happy actually perked up a little. Not at the idea of Tony agreeing to play, there was no chance in hell of him saying yes on the first playdate, but at Steve’s word choice. Asking him if he wanted to go to the rug to play instead of if he wanted to play with Bucky and Clint, was a good choice.

 

Tony sucked on his paci for a long minute while they all lapsed into silence. Even the toddlers seem to realize something was  _ different _ between Tony and the rest of them.

 

Finally Tony looked up at Steve and shook his head no, just barely moving his head at all, but a clear dismissal if they ever saw one.

 

Steve smiled at him, reaching down so he could fuss a lock of curls out of Tony’s eyes before the baby could stop him. “That’s okay sweetie, you’re fine where you are, aren’t you?”

 

Tony nodded with a little smile behind his pacifier, looking content and pleased in his place there. Happy calmed down just a little, shoulders less tense at the interaction. Tony went back to his stuffie again, keeping himself amused in a way only the littlest of babies could.

 

A good half hour went by before anything else really changed in the room, when Clint sat up on his knees, shuffling over to Phil on the couch and whining out, “Daddy, I want  _ lunch _ .”

 

Phil grinned down at the little, but Happy was tense again, watching Tony curl up into the side of the couch, making himself as small as possible in the little area. “You want lunch baby?”

 

Clint nodded with a pathetic little whimper, sounding like he was dying. “Lunch. Hungry Daddy!”

 

Tony flinched once at the noise and Bucky stilled from his spot on the floor, looking distressed for all of two seconds before turning to look back at Clint and Phil. “Clint, you and Uncle Phil should make pasta. Pasta is good.”

 

That could usually keep them occupied for a good half hour, because Clint was a very good cook who liked cooking lots of food, and he always had to make at least two sauces for every pasta night and lunch they had. He only got away with it by pointing out that Natasha couldn’t stand cooked tomatoes and Tony didn’t like alfredo, so they always had to have  _ lots _ of food, and Steve and Bucky and Natasha needed like a million calories a day, and then everyone’s gonna want garlic bread too  _ of course _ , and generally, cooking could take a fairly long time.

 

Clint looked at Phil with big excited eyes, and Phil took exactly two seconds before he sighed, getting up from the couch with a little smile. “Okay baby, you can help make lunch now.”

 

Clint cheered a little as they left and Tony cautiously uncurled from his little nervous ball and went back to cuddling with Fuzzy, a frazzled look on his face. Like maybe he’d forgotten that others were around.

 

Bucky spared a look to his daddy before cautiously moving off the rug and towards Tony, but keeping a good deal of space between them in case Tony didn’t want him there.

 

“Hi, baby Tony.”

 

Tony went still for a few seconds before looking up at Bucky, eyes wary. He hummed in response, not using actual words.

 

Bucky just nodded a little, before plopping down on his bottom there and wrapping an arm around Steve’s leg. Steve ran his fingers through his soft hair, and Bucky leaned into the touch. Tony watched them curiously. “Baby Tony doesn’t like loud.”

 

His voice was soft, not quite meant to carry either. Just enough for the baby to hear, and for Steve and Happy to strain to listen to. Tony looked around for a moment before pulling his pacifier out, edging on cautious now. He looked over at Happy, who was smiling at him lovingly, and it made Tony feel all warm inside. Strong and warm.

 

“Loud babies are trouble.”

 

Steve made a choked off noise like a dying man before sitting up straight and taking a deep breath, like he hadn’t expected  _ that _ to come out of a baby’s mouth.

 

“No, no babies are trouble here.”

 

Tony looked at Bucky with wide eyes, like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Babies not trouble?”

 

Bucky shook his head, looking a little upset. “Babies are good, and you’re a good boy. Even if you were  _ really _ loud, I’d still play with you.”

 

Happy thought for a second that he might be dying just a little. Only a little bit though.

 

Tony looked between Happy and Bucky for a few seconds before Happy nodded. “Even if you were the  _ loudest, messiest _ baby ever, I wouldn’t give you up for the world. Neither would Pepper, or Rhodey.”

 

Tony stuffed his paci back in his mouth, looking a little nervous, and Bucky untangled himself from Steve, moving over those last few feet until he was pressed up against Tony’s side. It took the baby only a few seconds before he turned and gave Bucky a hug, snuffling against him nervously, as if afraid of being rejected. Bucky just held him back and didn’t let go.

 

“You’re a good baby Tony. Best baby.”

 

Tony didn’t really believe him, but cuddles were good.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> avengersnonsexualageplay.tumblr.com


End file.
